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🐴 Valedictorian's Confession: 'That's It?' (The Empty Feeling at the Top)

How a valedictorian's moment of glory turned into an unexpected lesson on what truly matters. PLUS: Why grading less could transform education & documentary gems that bring learning to life.

Author

Charlie Deist
April 08, 2025

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IN THIS EDITION:

🍎 A confession from a top student that puts academic performance in perspective
🍎 9 research-backed reasons to question our grading obsession
🍎 Parent-approved documentaries that make complex concepts click

💡 THOUGHT

THE 15-SECOND TROPHY

Kyle Martin had done everything "right" – scored perfect grades, secured the top spot, earned the coveted Valedictorian’s silver stole. The pinnacle of academic achievement, right?

Not quite. The feeling of accomplishment was fleeting.

"It felt so good... for about 15 seconds,” he says, "But there must come a 16th second. And on that 16th second, I sat down, looked at my silver stole, and thought... 'That's it?'"

In our achievement-obsessed culture, we're conditioned to believe that grades, scores, and accolades are the measure of success. But as Martin discovered – as many do – these external markers offer little fulfillment compared to meaningful human connections.

The goal of education isn't to create perfect students who reach the "top" at all costs. It's to nurture whole humans who can learn, grow, and build relationships that make life worth living.

📊 TREND

GRADE LESS, LEARN MORE

Edutopia just published a research roundup with nine compelling reasons that less is more when it comes to grading.

A few that caught our attention:

Feedback gets ignored when it comes with a grade. A 2021 study found that when students see a grade before they see feedback, they're likely to ignore teacher comments entirely. Delay the grade, and students actually engage with how to improve.

Grades create artificial endpoints. That A or C stamp signals "learning complete" – even when it's just beginning. Creating more low-stakes practice opportunities and fewer high-stakes assessments helps students embrace the journey, not just the destination.

Peer assessment accelerates growth. Students who evaluate their own or others' work exhibited "significantly better academic performance" across all age groups. It turns out, the act of grading itself is a powerful learning opportunity.

🔨 TOOL

DOCUMENTARY GEMS

When a parent on Reddit asked for documentary recommendations to supplement learning, the responses revealed some hidden treasures that go beyond the usual Planet Earth fare:

For the budding historian:

For science enthusiasts:

For the engineering-minded:

  • How It’s Made – Mesmerizing manufacturing processes that never get old. The original series (2001–2019) can be streamed on Discovery+, or purchased by season on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and other digital platforms.

  • Mark Rober (YouTube) – Engineering projects with explosive appeal

While documentaries aren’t a substitute for hands-on learning, they can be a great visual supplement to books and other resources. As one parent put it: "I don't think reading any number of books about chimpanzees is the same as seeing the Jane Goodall documentary."

What documentaries have captivated your family? Reply to this email to let us know if you have favorites that should be on every OpenEd parent's watchlist.

That’s all for today! See you tomorrow.

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)

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